SIRF25: Here's everything you need to know to have a fun-filled festival!
The world-renowned Stockton International Riverside Festival will once again be wowing crowds in Stockton Town Centre from Friday (1 August) - here's everything you need to know to have a super SIRF experience!
SIRF25 brings together some of the finest street theatre, dance, music and arts from across the globe, with more than 140 performances taking place over the weekend.
There are shows, installations, workshops and so many things to see and do, plus the SIRF Community Carnival, a family favourite, returns on Sunday. There'll be something to entertain everyone, and it's all free to enjoy!
Cllr Nigel Cooke, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said: "This year this year boasts one of the largest number of shows ever with 45 companies performing, including six international UK premieres!
"With thousands of people expected to visit SIRF across the three days, now's the time to plan your festival to make the most of your experience. Take a look at this year's programme and choose which of the fabulous range of acts you'd like to see, which of the tasty food stalls are tempting you and plan your journey for a relaxed experience.
"And remember to stay tuned to our social media accounts for news and up to date information throughout the week."
Here's your guide to the festival:
What is SIRF?
Stockton International Riverside Festival is the centrepiece of the Borough's popular annual events calendar. It attracts tens of thousands of people to the town each year who come to be entertained by high quality outdoor arts - from spectacular large scale shows to small, intimate experiences.
What's on and when?
SIRF25 gets underway on Friday (1 August) and runs through to Sunday (3 August).
There's plenty to enjoy from 1:15pm on Friday, including Stopgap Dance Company, who return with an exhilarating performance by a diverse cast of world class dancers.
Don't miss our incredible Friday launch show Life Lines by celebrated French performers Compagnie Lézards Bleus at 7:15pm in the Town Hall and fountain area. These daring athletes will captivate the audience by transforming Stockton's architecture into a dynamic stage, scaling buildings, balancing on rooftops and engaging in their environment in ways that defy convention - and gravity!
Then once the sun goes down Múcab Dans Companywill light up the High Street from 9:30pm with their show Correllums, an energetic, celebratory performance full of dance, laser light, smoke and live music! The dazzling show is suitable for all audiences.
The SIRF Community Carnival remains a highlight on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. This year the always colourful carnival will celebrate Stockton's long history of innovation and invention and the Bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Under the theme 'Whistles, Wheels and Wonders', more than 850 local participants will showcase their marvellous creations as they parade down Stockton High Street in a flood of sound and colour.
Then visitors and carnival-goers can stick around and party, enjoying more family fun, including workshops, live music, dance and live shows before the amazing SIRF finale at 9:30pm, when French company Les Commandos Percu will combine percussion and fireworks to bring SIRF25 to a spectacular close with the UK premiere of their brand new show Origin.
As usual there will be a whole host of family-friendly fun and quirky performances throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the action starting around 1:15pm each day. For the full programme visit the SIRF website.
Is there anything different this year?
Yes, as the towns major development on the Riverside continues, blocking the space that has traditionally been used for our largest shows, SIRF is concentrated on the High Street, Parish Gardens and Trinity Green. But once open next year the stunning Stockton Waterfront urban park will bring enhanced opportunities for future festivals.
Is SIRF free?
Yes - all of the SIRF25 shows are free to enjoy, but one show (Sound Board) and one workshop (tightrope walking with expert performers Lyapunov) are ticketed this year. Tickets are free and available to collect each day two hours before the start of each show from SIRF Central in the Enjoy Stockton-on-Tees shop at 134b High Street.
For the rest of the shows you can simply turn up and enjoy!
What will there be to eat and drink?
Throughout the festival SIRF Green is once again the place to go for scrummy scran and is open from 12pm to 10.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 12pm to 9pm on the Sunday in Bishop Street Car Park.
There's something to tickle everyone's taste buds including Thai, Indian and Korean street food, crepes and waffles, cakes and bakes, speciality coffees, and non-alcoholic drinks. Enjoy some marvellous music too throughout the day at SIRF Green! For opening hours, details of the traders and entertainment visit the SIRF website.
What's the best way to get there?
Visitors are encouraged to choose low-carbon, healthy transport options such as walking, cycling or utilising public transport where possible. Free secure bike storage is available at The Hub on Stockton High Street on Friday 8.30am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 6pm, with spaces for 55 bikes.
Stockton Town Centre is well served by buses from across the Tees Valley. Visit the Connect Tees Valley website to see timetables and a list of all temporary changes to bus stops.
If you're visiting by car there are many parking options with hundreds of spaces available within a short walking distance of the town centre, including West Row, Skinner Street, Thompson Street and Church Road. As we are expecting large crowds we are also making the car park available at Dunedin House on Saturday and Sunday - please follow the signage. You can also park in Wellington Square, which is subject to parking charges. Please note some car parks are closed during the festival. For a full list of available car parks and a useful map visit the SIRF website.
There will be a small number of road closures in place in order for us to host the festival safely. Due to the ongoing Waterfront development, this year the Riverside Road will be closed throughout the festival. Diversions are in place. To view a full list of road closures visit the SIRF website.
Is SIRF accessible?
SIRF has a proud history of supporting disabled and disabled-friendly artists and there's a range of services on offer to help people with disabilities access performance sites and accessible viewing areas. Our Accessible SIRF Champions service is available across the festival. To book please contact SIRF Central. Please note, spaces are limited and are available on a first come, first serve basis.
This year we have a number of shows which will have BSL (British Sign Language) interpreters present or feature integrated BSL within performances.
For audience members with visual impairments, shows at SIRF this year which contain live audio description within their performances are:
- Head Over Wheels, Anchored in Air
- Zest Theatre, Sound Board
- Stopgap Dance Company, RO- TES រទេ
- Thames Festival Trust with BloomInArt, Carmen Marcus and Scott Akoz, River of Hope
A number of shows at SIRF this year are also offering touch tours.
For full details on Accessible SIRF visit the SIRF website, or pop along to SIRF Central to find out more.
Where can I get SIRF updates during the festival?
Be sure to follow SIRF's social media on Facebook and Instagram. To keep up with any changes during the event follow Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's social media channels.
Use the #SIRF25 hashtag on your posts from the festival, or tag SIRF or @StocktonCouncil and you could see them featured online.
I need more information, where should I go?
Visit the SIRF website.
If you need information or help during the festival ask the friendly SIRF Visitor Experience team - you'll see them wearing the orange SIRF t-shirts - or head to SIRF Central.
